CDWP approves 7 projects worth Rs22.16b.

ISLAMABAD -- The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) Friday approved seven development projects worth Rs 22.16 billion including Maintenance Dredging of Navigation Channel of Gwadar Port at the cost of Rs 4.670 billion.

The CDWP, which met under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal, considered seven projects related to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination and HEC.

The forum approved Balochistan Urgent Response for Food Security Project at the cost of Rs 1,100.000million. The Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs is the sponsoring agency of the project. The project envisages revival of agriculture production in the severely flood affected districts of the Nasirabad Division which is considered as the granary of the province. The project will support the provision of rice seeds for increased productivity to 60,000 farm households in the target districts. Each beneficiary farmer will receive 40 kilograms of rice seed which will be sufficient for cultivating rice on 2 to 2.5 acres (0.8 to 1.0 hectare) of land. Furthermore, the project will provide climate adaptive (resilient) certified rice seed such as short duration varieties having tolerance to abiotic drought, heat and biotic disease free stress to ensure resilience. The project will provide small farming toolkits for agricultural activities and gum shoes for safer rice transplanting for at least 60,000 women.

Maintenance Dredging of the Navigational Channel of Gwadar Port at the cost of Rs 4,669.762m was also approved by the forum. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs is the sponsoring agency of the project. The revised project envisages maintenance dredging of 4.70-kilometer long navigational channel, basin and berthing area of Gwadar Port. Its Internal Navigational Channel and Turning Basin design depth is 13.8-meter for safe navigation of deep draft vessels and the Berthing Area and Outer channel are dredged to 14.5-meter to permit safe berthing and sufficient clearance from bottom in low tides. The channel is designed for navigation of 50,000 DWT ships during all weather.

The CDWP approved Social Sector Accelerator SSA for Health, Nutrition, Education, Youth and Gender (HNEYG), National Priority Initiatives (2nd Revision) at the cost of Rs 4,828.05 million. The Ministry of Planning...